Eight guns stolen during break-in at Medford residence

A burglar made off with collectible guns and coins from a Brookhurst Street apartment early Thursday morning, Medford police reported.

A burglar made off with collectible guns and coins from a Brookhurst Street apartment early Thursday morning, Medford police reported.

The break-in was reported just before 4 a.m. in the 1900 block of Brookhurst.

According to Medford police, someone forced open the apartment's locked door while the 55-year-old man who lives there was away. The burglar or burglars took about $2,000 worth of firearms and coins from the home, police said.

The guns taken are black powder muzzle loaders and antique replicas. They include a .50-caliber flintlock pistol, a six-shot .44-caliber carbine rifle, a .50-caliber Blue Ridge flintlock rifle, a .54-caliber single-shot traditional Hawken percussion rifle with a red rifle sleeve, red band midpoint and leather sling, a 12-gauge single-shot New England shotgun, a World War I era .22-caliber nine-shot revolver, and a pair of .44-caliber revolvers with a naval scene on the cylinder. All are working guns.

"Burglaries are up and guns are being targeted more in general," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said.

Gun sales are higher than ever, said Budreau, so gun owners need to know they are a target and secure their firearms well.

"The victim in this case did not have his guns in a safe; that might have kept them from being stolen, who knows," Budreau said.

Currently there are no suspects in the case, and police ask the public to keep an eye out for the stolen guns. The burglars might try to sell or trade them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jim Williams at 541-774-2232.